I have been thinking about where this country is going.

Good morning. Since the primaries the other day I have been reading everything I can find pertaining to the results and then comes along the comment that Russ Linbaum wanted Republicans to get out and vote for Hillary Clinton. Yup he wanted them to vote for her so McCain will be up against her in November. I don't want her in the Oval Office, but I certainly do not want another 8 years of Bush business as usual. I also, don't think it is right that the people in Florida and Michigan get another chance at a primary. They did what they wanted knowing what the consequences were at the time so why should it be done again other than so Miss Hillary can get more delegates. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!! At least Senator Obama has gone by the rules set forth by the Democratic Party.

I was poking around at my usual haunts this morning and came across The Smirking Chimp
I must say that Dave Lindorff is one of the most dead on writers I have seen in ages. I feel everyone could get a lot out of what he has to say. You need to read the comments from his readers as well. It is amazing that those of us who would love to string two sentences together and can't, can find people like Dave who can make sense. Take a look and see what I mean. He is amazing.

The Sun is shining!!!!!

After two days of rain, sleet and snow the sun has finally come out again. Unfortunately we are in a freeze right now with temps in the mid 20's. I have a flat roof on my house and over the weekend, with news of roof after roof collapsing every day, I had one of my fellow coworkers come and take the ice and snow off. That is the second time this year and it is getting expensive to have this done. I have never had to have it done before and the roof has been on about 5 years. I have PVC roofing on 75% of my roof and the snow usually slides right off without a problem. It is a good thing we have a wood pellet stove to heat our home with as it would be really a hardship to pay for oil heat and get the roof cleaned off as well. Can you believe the price gouging we are getting from these oil companies?

I woke to another light covering of snow on my car this morning. I am so done with the winter. I want green grass and flowers. I want to be able to go outside without bundling into multiple layers to stay warm. My family wonders why I want to RV full time. I so want to head out when fall is on the wane and not come back until the last snow drift is gone.

Hey! Did you see the results of the Wisconsin primary. Obama has another one under his belt. I was listening to an interview of a voter last night and when asked who she voted for and why she said Hillary Clinton - because it is time to have a woman in the White House. Now I ask you is that a stupid reason to vote for someone or what? One other lady said she voted for Obama because Clinton was more involved with special interest groups. At least she had a reason for her vote.

I got an email from a very dear friend who moved to Mississippi almost a year ago telling me that the new house she just built is on the market and she will be coming home as soon as it sells. I am so looking forward to seeing her again. I was so surprised when she announced that she was moving south last year. She is thoroughly New England and having lived in Alabama myself, I wasn't sure she would be happy down there. There is nothing wrong with southerners, I made dear friends when I was there. The life style is so slow that it is difficult for us from the northeast, where everything moves at the speed of sound sometimes, to acclimate and slow ourselves down.

Have a great day!
Debs

Super Tuesday

At no time in my adult life have I ever paid as much attention to an election or the candidates who were running. It appears that I have finally grown up at least in this sense of the word.

What makes us want to take part in the process while others seem to feel that their vote never counts. I have a stepson who feels we waste our time voting as it never counts. I tell him all the time he needs to grow up. One of our inalienable rights while we are on earth is the right to vote. I am also glad to see that many of the younger generations are exercising this right. I tend to get rather defensive when I hear someone complaining about this or that public figure, but yet they have never bothered to even register to vote.

I am rather looking forward to the outcome of this super Tuesday at least where the Democrats are concerned. As previously stated I do support Senator Obama and sincerely hope he does get the nomination this year. We need so desperately a whole new perspective in the White House.

Enough of my soap box for today. Will continue after the counts are in tomorrow.

Debs

Another Week Almost Gone!!

I swear the older I get the faster time flies. It seems only yesterday we were getting ready for the holidays and now a whole month as passed into the new year.

I have been watching with interest as the presidential candidates pull out of the race this week. In my demented brain I am finding it interesting that they did this before super Tuesday. I do not have a political background so I am sure that there were reasons behind it. What I do not know. I am not sure that we are ready for our former first lady to take the reins of the country and being an independent myself I don't think we need another military mind in the White House. I am of the opinion that Barack Obama would make a great president. He is young, has fresh ideas that make sense and I feel that many more heads of state throughout the world would work better with him than his rival. We need all the help we can get to improve our image with the rest of the world.

We need to get our troops out of Iraq as soon as reasonably possible. My feeling is that we never should have gone in there in the first place. I am sure that most Americans feel that we should have had more of a reason to attack Iraq before we just barged in. But, I also feel that Sadam Hussein was justly tried for his crimes against humanity and had we not invaded the country he would probably not have been brought to justice.

I am also concerned about the billions of dollars that are sent to other countries around the world. We have thousands if not millions of people here in the United States who are at or very near the poverty level and struggle to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. I am not talking about those who spend their lives living on the system I am talking about those who go to work everyday and try to survive without government help or survive in spite of the lack of it. The government puts a price on what they perceive as poverty level. How much money do those who set that figure make a year. Bet it is a heck of a lot more. Has that increased with the price of oil, gas, groceries, etc. Housing has gone out of sight and it takes an act of congress just to be able to get a place to live. I have watched rent around here in my area jump beyond what I could afford if I didn't have my own home. I can see me living in my camper at my parents old house paying my nephew rent to park it there. As it is I live in a 1962 mobile home that I am trying hard to renovate.

I am seeing a lot of housing prices knocked around on TV these days and it is no wonder that the foreclosure rates in California are so high. Here in the northeastern part of New England median salaries are under 15 dollars an hour for most people. By the time we pay our high health and disabilities insurance costs and pay what Uncle Sam wants from us we have lost 1/4 or more of our pay check. Try to save some through the 401K plans and you have taken another 10% away. Our housing costs are probably on average 1/3 the costs in California. How much do those people make out there?

Is there an answer to how to cut government spending and bring down taxes? Is there a way to make health care more affordable? Do we, as supposedly the richest nation on earth (next tot he UAE), need to support the world when we can not even take care of our own first? Why after working all our lives and then trying to get those final debts paid do we have to have social security income taxable. I could go on with all kinds of questions, but what or who would listen? I have never played the system nor tried to live off it and I hope that I never have to, but would love to know why people are allowed too.

When our Senators and Members of Congress leave office with their full salary for the rest of their lives, which by the way is not part of the social security system, do they have to pay taxes on that retirement? If I had to live on what they make I don't think I would complain, but then the more we make the more we want to make. I remember my first job in high school was working in a toy factory making just over a dollar an hour. What do we do now. Cost of living is out of sight for the regular guy.

Someone please enlighten me! I would love some answers to my questions that make sense.

Have a great Day!!
Debs